ABOUT PTSA

PTA stands for Parent Teacher Association. The "S" in PTSA welcomes and recognizes students as an important partnership piece in supporting education. 

PTSA and PTA are part of the fabric of the United States’ public education system and trusted partners to millions of parents, families, educators, and community members, as advocates for the education, welfare, health, and safety of all children. PTA has been instrumental in establishing programs and services to improve children’s lives. Since 1897, PTA has been an innovative, forward-thinking, and effective advocate for all children.

Highland Middle School PTSA is made of families, students, educators, administrators, businesses, and community leaders devoted to the educational success of every child and the promotion of authentic family engagement in schools. Membership in PTSA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference in the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. We speak for every child with one voice. 

Highland Middle School PTSA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. 

We invite everyone to attend our monthly meetings to meet the team of leader-volunteers behind the governance of Highland Middle School PTSA.

Local PTAs are linked to the State PTA and the National PTA organization, forming a nationwide network of members working on behalf of all children and youth.

This structure allows our PTSA to be a valuable resource to our school community with:

✅    Access to programs to benefit children, youth, and their families

✅  Recognition and size to influence the formulation of laws, policies, and practices—education or legislative.

National PTA is composed of 54 state congresses and more than 20,000 local units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe. State PTAs are the liaison between the local PTA and National PTA, helping each to function effectively and to support and sustain the other. 

Washington State PTA is divided into 12 regions to achieve a closer working relationship between local PTAs and councils. Each region serves as a focal point for leadership education, networking, service, and coordination within that region. All 30 Bellevue School District PTAs are in Region 2 and fall under the support of the Bellevue PTSA Council. 

Faced with shrinking budgets and growing class sizes, not to mention high standards for teacher and student performance—schools today need the support of families and the community. PTA can help:

✅ Increase family engagement and volunteerism

✅ Implement programs to engage families in student success or school improvements

✅ Qualify for grants and awards to support your school

✅ Communicate with families more effectively

✅ Partner with other community organizations

✅ Enhance fundraising efforts

✅ Realize measurable results in student achievement

PTAs Benefit Everyone. PTA addresses issues that are important to parents and public school administrators. We fight for full funding, quality teachers, and capabilities for schools to thrive. 

Partner with PTA by becoming a member.

There are two different organizations that support Highland Middle School:

• Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)

• Associated Student Body (ASB)

PTSA is a volunteer-led non-profit organization that works to enrich the education and well-being of all students at Highland Middle School. Any living person can be a PTSA member: Parents, students, grandparents, family members, neighbors, community leaders, educators, ... anyone who believes in children and public education.

Only students can join the Associated Student Body (ASB) at Highland Middle School. It is a student-led organization that promotes leadership and engagement at school.  More about ASB can be found here.

Both PTSA and ASB rely on fundraising and your support to run their programs. They operate separately under a specific set of laws in Washington state and their funds are not commingled. Fundraising programs take place throughout the year and will be clearly categorized as PTSA or ASB. 

When you donate to PTSA or ASB, please be very careful to ensure that the corporate matching gift funds are directed to the correct organization that received your donation. Look for “PTSA” or “ASB” to make sure that your donated funds can be matched correctly.